Crashes, insurance and registration in Hawaii

By the end of this topic you can

• You can follow the correct steps at the scene of a crash.
• You can tell when a crash must be reported to the police.
• You can explain Hawaii's minimum insurance and what no-fault means.
• You can describe the link between insurance, safety inspection and registration.
• You can keep the right documents in your car.

What you need to know and understand

• Report a crash to the police immediately if anyone is injured or killed, or total damage is $3,000 or more.
• Drivers must stop, exchange name, address and registration details, and help anyone injured.
• For policies new or renewed from January 1, 2026, minimum liability is $40,000 per person and $80,000 per accident for injury, and $20,000 for property damage.
• No-fault personal injury protection covers up to $10,000 per person for medical and rehabilitation costs.
• Driving without insurance brings a $500 fine for a first offense, plus a three-month license suspension or an order to keep a prepaid policy for six months.
• Most vehicles need a safety inspection at least once a year. A new vehicle's next inspection is due two years after its first.
• Vehicles are registered with the county where they are operated and renewed every year.

At the scene of a crash

1. Stop immediately. If you can, move your vehicle off the traveled part of the road.
2. Help the injured. Call the police and ask for an ambulance if needed. Do not move an injured person unless they are in danger.
3. Warn other traffic using hazard lights, flares or another person, to prevent a second crash.
4. Give your name, address and vehicle registration number, and show your license if asked, to the other drivers and anyone injured.
5. If you hit an unattended vehicle, find the owner or leave a written note with your name, address and what happened.
6. Tell your insurance company about the crash.

Reports and proof of insurance after a crash

Call the police by the quickest means if the crash causes injury, death or $3,000 or more in property damage. Drivers in crashes with injury, death or damage over $3,000 must also file proof of insurance on form SR-21. After certain convictions, drivers must file form SR-22 and keep proof of financial responsibility for three years. Failing to do so leads to license suspension.

How no-fault insurance works

Every owner of a car, bus or truck must have Hawaii motor vehicle insurance to register or drive it. Personal injury protection pays your own medical costs regardless of fault. You can always sue or be sued for property damage, but the manual says you can sue for injury only in serious cases, such as medical bills above $5,000, permanent loss of a body function, serious disfigurement or death. The minimum policy does not pay to repair your own car; that needs optional collision cover.

Inspection and registration

• Insure the car and keep the Hawaii insurance card in it.
• Pass the periodic safety inspection at an authorized station. Keep the certificate in the car and the sticker on it.
• Register with your county and renew every year. Registrations expire at the end of the 12th month.
• Tell the county in writing within 30 days if your address changes.
• Display plates on the front and rear of a car.
• A car registered in another state can get a Hawaii temporary permit, but never for more than 12 months.

Common mistakes

• Driving away after a minor bump without leaving your details. Leaving the scene is an offense.
• Assuming minimum insurance repairs your own car. It does not.
• Letting the safety inspection lapse. You cannot register without it, and your road test car must have a current one.
• Using the old 2023 manual's insurance figures. The minimum liability limits rose in 2026.

Test yourself: Crashes, insurance and registration in Hawaii

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Hawaii Road Test for a Class 3 License
• Hawaii Safety Inspection and No-Fault Insurance Minimums
• Driving in Hawaii on an Out-of-State or Foreign License